Baby Playing With Gun: Police Discover Shocking Video On Cell Phone
A couple from Indiana face multiple charges, after police uncovered video of the woman’s baby playing with a gun, pretending to shoot it before placing the weapon in her mouth.
Toni Wilson, a 22-year-old former cashier at McDonald’s, was arrested with her partner, Michael Barnes, after the footage of her baby came to light. Police discovered the video on Barnes’ cell phone, while investigating him for another alleged crime, according to the Daily Mail.
The video depicts Wilson’s baby daughter playing with a real.40 caliber handgun, in the couple’s Evansville, Indiana home. Seated on a bed, the baby can be seen waving the gun around, amid encouragement from Barnes. The child pretends to shoot the gun, saying “pow,” at Barnes’ prompting. At another point in the video, the baby, who remains unidentified, rubs the gun against her face. In possibly the most terrifying moment, the child even inserts the muzzle of the gun into her mouth.
The couple have been arrested and charged with child neglect, criminal recklessness with a deadly weapon, and allowing a child to possess a firearm. According to News 14, investigators were able to determine that Wilson was present when her child was filmed with the gun. When confronted about the weapon, she reportedly claimed that it was a pellet gun.
Tonight on 14NEWS@10: See the video that has led to the arrest of a couple encouraging a baby to hold a gun. pic.twitter.com/tZLhW9Efj2 — 14 News (@14News) January 10, 2015
Sgt. Jason Cullum with EPD said that the case is unlike anything his department has ever seen before.
“When we try to do all the things we do to encourage these kids to be good members of our community, and you see somebody that’s working that hard against it, it just makes you wonder how many other children may be living in this type of situation and what’s the outcome going to be for them, and what’s the outcome going to be for our community if these things do go on.”
Police reportedly discovered the video on Thursday, while investigating Barnes for allegedly trying to sell a gun to an undercover officer, just feet from Delaware Elementary School. Wilson’s baby, who is just 1-year-old, is in the care of emergency services, along with Barnes’ 1-month-old twins.
Last month, an Idaho woman was killed while shopping when her baby accidentally shot her. As the Inquisitr previously reported, the child reached into his mother’s purse and was able to access a concealed gun.
Police noted that they discovered a second video of Wilson’s baby playing with the gun on Barnes’ cell phone as well.
[Image via the Daily Mail]
